Issue 114 - ?Liberating libations

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?Liberating libations

?Lennon and McCartney. Posh and Becks. Islay and whisky. Food and drink. Great pairings need no introduction. But when it comes to the latter one must dig a little deeper. To simply say drink goes well with food, is to say that breathing goes well with being alive. The two are so intertwined, so supportive of each other that it is difficult to imagine a world with just one of the pair.

Of course you'll be aware of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein and his private language theory, right? You know, the one where he talks about different groups in society having their own private language...? For example, if you say the word ‘Scotch' to a gruff Norwegian fisherman, he may well think of something heavy, oily and peaty, a classic glass of Islay whisky, maybe. However, say the same word to a New Yorker staying in a top hotel in Hong Kong and they may think of the sweet, honeyed nature of The Balvenie. Each of us, from our own personal experience, has a different interpretation to each and every word we hear.

So what of the word ‘food'? What does that conger up in your mind? Maybe you have just returned from a business trip to Japan, where food means small plates of raw fish. Or maybe you're fresh off the plane from completing the Bourbon trail, where food means huge portions of barbecued meat. Now let's take it a step further; what about the word ‘ingredient'? Depending on where you are from in the world, or even which region you are in, in your own country this word wi...